Inside and outside of Oakland

The Michigan Humane Society is distancing itself from a political action committee called the Humane Society Legislative Fund, which is running ads on behalf of U.S. Rep. Gary Peters.
The Bingham Farms-based nonprofit said in a statement Wednesday that it is not connected with the Humane Society Legislative Fund or its parent organization The Humane Society of the United States.
It is prohibited as a nonprofit from promoting or endorsing political candidates, spokeswoman Nancy Gunnigle said.
"Our focus is on caring for dogs and animals each year in metropolitan Detroit," she said.
The Michigan Humane Society is allowed to advocate for legislative changes "but we do not engage in political endorsements, we cannot engage in political endorsements by law."
The Michigan Humane Society operates three adoption and veterinary centers in Detroit, Rochester Hills and Westland.
Peters, a Bloomfield Township Democrat, was first elected in 2008 and is running for re-election in the 9th Congressional District. His main opponent is Republican Rocky Raczkowski of Farmington Hills.
The Washington, D.C.-based Humane Society Legislative Fund on Tuesday announced it was launching a 30-second ad in Michigan supporting Peters' re-election.
The seat is among those on the radar of both major political parties this year.
The 9th Congressional District represents the communities of Pontiac, Lake Angelus, Auburn Hills, Keego Harbor, Sylvan Lake, Orchard Lake, Bloomfield Hills, Birmingham, Auburn Hills, Rochester Hills, Rochester, Troy, Clawson, Royal Oak, Berkley, Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms, Franklin, Farmington, Farmington Hills, and the townships of Bloomfield, Southfield, Waterford, West Bloomfield, Oakland and part of Orion.Contact Charles Crumm at 248-745-4649, charlie.crumm@oakpress.com or follow him on Twitter @crummc.